Kenny Wheeler

Trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and his sidemen on this quintet CD (guitarist John Abercrombie, pianist John Taylor, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Peter Erskine) had all worked together previously in different settings. Their familiarity with each other's playing came in handy for the frequently intuitive session which consists of explorations of six of Wheeler's complex but often-melodic originals (including "The Widow in the Window," "Hotel Le Hot" and the lengthy "Ana"). Kenny Wheeler's music occupies its own unique area between post bop and free jazz and virtually all of his recordings are recommended to adventurous listeners, including this one.

Songs for Quintet, Kenny Wheeler’s final recording, features compositions of relatively recent vintage, plus a fresh approach to “Old Time” – which the Azimuth trio used to play – and “Nonetheless”, a piece introduced on Angel Song. The album was recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios with four of Kenny’s favourite players. Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli, Chris Laurence and Martin France work together marvellously as an interactive unit, solo persuasively, and provide support for the tender and lyrical flugelhorn of the bandleader.

Kenny Wheeler's beautiful sound on trumpet and his wide range are well-displayed on his four compositions, three of which are given performances over ten minutes long. With the assistance of ECM regulars Jan Garbarek (on tenor and soprano), guitarist John Abercrombie, bassist Dave Holland, drummer Jack DeJohnette and (on one song) guitarist Ralph Towner, Wheeler emphasizes lyricism and romantic moods on this fine set of original music.

A deep dive into the one of most collectable jazz catalogues in the world, a selection of some of the rarest and most sought-after recordings from the 60s and 70s, a time when British jazz began to find its own identity. Drawn from the iconic labels of Decca, Deram, Argo, EMI Columbia/Lansdowne Series, Fontana, Mercury, & Philips.

Kenny Wheeler - It Takes Two! (2006) {Cam Jazz CAM 5016}
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© 2006 Cam Jazz / Cam Cine TV Music | CAM 5016
Jazz / Post Bop / Flugelhorn / Guitar

It Takes Two! finds Kenny Wheeler in an instrumental context with which he has not previously recorded. Throughout he is partnered by guitarists John Abercrombie and John Parricelli and the Swedish bass virtuoso Anders Jormin. The musical sensitivity of all those involved has resulted in what is, even by Wheeler's sometimes introspective standards, an extremely intimate sounding recording. Indeed, the shades, textures, and contrasts of the two guitars (harp-like, steely and incisive by turns), Jormin's bass and Wheeler's horns create something akin to a conversation to which the listener eavesdrops.

Kenny Wheeler sticks to flugelhorn exclusively for this unusual yet intimate trio date with pianist John Taylor and electric bassist Steve Swallow (whose nimble playing makes it seem like he is playing an acoustic guitar at times). Together the three veterans explore the leader's stunning originals, most of which are ballads, beginning with the buoyant Brazilian-flavored "Phrase 3." "Anticipation" is a tense affair, with the rhythm section introducing a hypnotic, intricate vamp before Wheeler makes a powerful entrance stating its melancholic theme.

Kenny Wheeler has a stunning lyric imagination, apparent in the burnished luster of his flugelhorn and the subtle structures of his compositions. It’s present too in the way he picks his musical partners and constructs situations that bring out the very best in them. The quartet here includes two longstanding partners in bassist Dave Holland, a collaborator for nearly four decades, and pianist John Taylor, a regular associate in the group Azimuth. Tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, a regular in Holland’s quintet, completes the band; with lines of empathy connecting all four musicians. The absence of a drummer highlights each musician’s unique sound. Wheeler’s lines seem to dance on Taylor’s limpidly fluid piano like sunlight on water, while Potter blends a muscular assertiveness with Wheeler’s reflective tunes.